Decipher script on Left Handed Dagger?
 

Left Handed DaggerDate: c1600
Nationality: Europe? (German or Italian I think)
Overall Length: 51.5 cm
Blade length: 36.2
Blade widest point: 2.047
Inside grip length: 8.3 cm

Left Handed dagger, cross guard and pommel decorated with foliage and doves in silver relief. Ornately engraved blade with 3 panels of words possibly Latin, a knight in Armour, Doves and foliage. Grip wrapped in silver wire with Turks heads top and bottom.

General Remarks
The writing on the blade is so flowery it is hard to decipher the letters let alone the language.

I have tried to blow up the three panels of text as best I can, any help in deciphering the letters and or language will be very much appreciated.

Cheers Cathey

The inscriptions are in Latin.
At the moment I can only decipher the first illustrated zoom-up with the very common motto

I te Domine speravi - In Thee God I Trust.
Non confundar in aeternum - And I Will Not Perish In Eternity (from the Te Deum, with colloquial misspellings).

The second close-up starts

In the speravimus - In Thee we Trust.
?

Best,
Michael

Hi Michael

Thanks for that, I was struggling with the flowery text. I thought it was either going to be Latin or Italian. Latin script appears a common choice on rapiers from this period. Any thoughts on the country of origin, I am leaning towards Italian rather than German at this stage.

Cheers Cathey

Decipher script on Left Handed Dagger?
 

In my continuing hunt to pin point the origin and decipher the text on this dagger I found a very similar example (although in much poorer condition) that sold at Thomas Del Mar in June and is apparently English 1660. With this information I have updated the description of my dagger as follows:

Left Handed dagger circa 1660,possibly English.
Iron hilt comprising a pair of short quillions with flattened globular terminals, large compressed side ring, and flattened spherical pommel, decorated with foliage and various birds in silver relief. Ornately engraved tapering blade with 3 panels of words in Latin, A knight in Armour, various birds and foliage. Grip wrapped in silver wire with Turks heads top and bottom.

At this stage I agree with the general view that the text is Latin and may come from the Te Deum. I managed to find a full translation of the Te Derun in English; however given the style of the script I am still unable to be certain of the exact translation.

I have re-photographed the three passages of text on each side with a high macro lense and I am hopeful that someone might have another go at interpreting the possible translation. The first two passages on both sides appear the same, the third however appears different.


Cheers Cathey

The text as it appears on each side of the blade, the translation of the Te deum and the Thomas Del Mar Dagger of similar style.

TE DEUM
 

Precious info !
Thanks for sharing.